ODYSSEY: USU Eastern gives area students a day-long tour of alternative energy tech

Students from Carbon County and around Utah got a glimpse of the future on Friday morning.

The glimpse into the future happened during the Odyssey event held at the McDonald Career Center at USU Eastern.

Over 370 people including high school students from places including San Juan, Whitehorse and Monument Valley gathered at the event which focused on helping students understand alternative energies.

Stan Martineau, an automotive technology instructor at USU Eastern, said the event went well and gave students a look at the many alternative energies including wind, solar, bio fuels and more.

"Everything went well and the students got an opportunity to learn about alternative energies," said Martineau.

Many local students had to fill out a work sheet telling about what they learned during their time at Odyssey.

Not only did students attend the event, but representatives from the governor's office, the Environmental Protection Agency, Utah Clean Cities Coalition, Questar, Les Schwab and others were also in attendance.

Cars including the electric Ford Focus, a Chevrolet Volt, a hybrid Toyota Prius and many others were on display for students to explore inside and out and learn how they work.

To add some excitement, instructors revved up the engines of some cars to high speeds to show students how the engines work.

Other than cars, other stations were set up in the hallway where students could use a crank to generate electricity to turn on a light bulb and another where they could learn about bio fuels and the role they play in the world today.

The only downside to the event was the downpour of rain through much of the morning. Martineau said as many as 500 students were expected to attend the event but the weather may have kept some from attending.